Detachable sign-letter.



No. 630,458. Patented Aug. a, |899. c. F. JDHNSUN.

nETAcHABLl-z SIGN LETTER.

(Application led Apr, 11, 1898.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES F. JOHNSON, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO ALBERT F. BURDETT, OF DEDI-IAM, MASSACHUSETTS.

DETACHABLE SlGNiLETTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 630,458, dated August 8, 1899.

Application led April 11I 1898. fSerial No. 677,144. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, it may concern,.-

Be it know that I, CHARLES FREDERICK JOHNSON, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and Commonwealth 'of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Detachable Sign-Letters, of which the following is a description sufficiently full, clear, and exact to enable any person skilled in the art or science to which said invention appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which l Figure l is a face view of my improved signletters; Fig. 2, a transverse section taken on line 2 2 in Fig. 1; Fig. y3, an elevation showing the letters attached to a backing; Fig. 4, an end elevation of the letter attached, the backing being shown in section on line 4 4 in Fig. 3; Fig. 5, a like View showing the fasteners not clenched.

Like letters of lreference indicate corresponding parts in the different gures of the drawings.

My invention relates especially to the construction of metallic letters to be employed for forming reading sign-notices, the object being particularly to provide a letter that from its formation and finish shall be of a character to attract general attention to the sign, with the further object of providing means whereby these letters may be detachably secured to a backing rendered interchangeable, so that the reading of the signmay be changed at will. These letters are designed to be supplied to the user in fonts, and I have discovered means for enameling the metal in various colors in such manner that by the, use of elaborate and expensive dies the letters may be stamped Vor cut therefrom without breaking or cracking the finish. By this means I can supply substantially imperishable and yet ornamental letters that may be mounted at will in any combinations and their positions changed as desired.

The nature and operation of the improvement will be understood from the following explanation.

In the drawings, A B represent the letter considered as a whole. Capital block Roman letters M E are shown for the purpose of illustrating the formation; but it will be understood that any numerals or signs, punctuation-marks, &c., may be thus formed.

The body of the letter I preferably form of tin, the arms b d thereof being arched or domed, as shown in Fig. 2, and the outer surface enameled,as described above. This domingis accomplished when theletter is stamped from the sheet by the dies and is an essential feature, as such rounded shape imparts a glint to the surface that attracts attention to the finished sign.- y

Simultaneously with forming the letter the dies cut a longitudinal slit t (see Fig. l) in the square end of the arms b d, and the adjacent portions or walls are bent inwardly or rear; wardly at right angles to the body of the letter on line f, forming V-shaped teeth m. (Shown in Figs. 4 and 5.) This leaves a finished V- shaped opening in the square end of the let ter-arms, as viewed in Fig. 3, which is ornamentalv and which gives no indication of its purpose. The integral rearwardly-projecting brads or teeth thus formed may be pressed into a frictional backing D, of cardboard or other suitable material, and while thus entirely concealed will support the letters A B in any desired position. Any sign-lettering may thus be quickly and artistically accomplished from the fonts of metallic letters so equipped. When desired t-o make it permanent, the points of the teeth may be clenched, as at w in Fig. 4; but it is sufficient to have them just penetrate the backing, as in Fig. 5, the fact that opposite squared ends are thus attached serving to prevent accidental displacement.

While I am aware that articles have been attached to supports by means of a penetrating tooth, it has not to my knowledge been accomplished with curved-surface letters, it having been deemed impracticable to fashion them excepting at great expense or by shaping each separately by hand.

Having thus explained my invention, what I claim is- A domed, enamel-surface, metallic block letter, having the end of an arm slit and the parts thus formed bent rearwardly into V- shaped attaching-teeth.

CHARLES F. JOHNSON.

Witnesses:

O. M. SHAW, O. M. VILBUR.

IOO 

